Creating vs. Consuming

LOCATION: Cannes, France

I can’t tell you guys how much I’ve enjoyed getting even more personal on the site. To connect with you all through industry notes or personal thoughts. It’s truly my pleasure to go deeper with you and I can’t thank you enough for giving me this platform to do so. I have to admit, I think of my readers all the time, especially when it comes to content ideas. I often think of things that I can’t wait to share with you, or stumble upon a thought that I want to explore more with the community. And lately, there’s a topic that keeps coming to mind: creating vs. consuming.

As I’ve stumbled into the incredible role of content creator, it’s my job, on a 24/7, 365-day basis to create content. That’s the name of the game. And it’s no secret that I’ve had my ups and downs with the need to create instead of putting my creative well being first. It’s a conversation a lot of people seem to be having right now. More so than ever, I’ve been enthralled with the idea of creating on auto-pilot. We digest things so quickly these days and we (myself included) breeze through content – whether it’s in a magazine, on our social media feeds, or even on sites like mine. And when we’re consuming content, we may be multi-tasking or consuming through different platforms at once – aka the second screen!

But as we’re scrolling and flying through articles and pictures in an effort to find something that will generate our likes or reads, we’re sometimes forgetting the act of creating and all that goes into it. The creative process behind the image of the article and how that balance of fast consumption doesn’t equal out. At least in my opinion.

The amount of time it takes to truly create something beautiful and individual should be respected instead of sped past. Creating something should be done out of true love and passion. Not because you need to get an Instagram post up before the end of the day. Or because X person created a photo that you think you need to recreate to stay relevant or in the good graces of Instagram numbers.

Just as the creator takes time to consciously create, I think it’s time we slow down to consciously consume, too. After all, we’re consuming someone’s art and hard work. And let’s stay true to that. Creating out of passion rather than guilt or FOMO or pressure or whatever negative feeling may be weighing on you.

It’s easier said than done, and I’m no stranger to the pressures of fast creation, but that’s why I’m writing this. To remind myself to slow down. To create when it feels natural, when it feels inspired. And to consume with respect to the person doing the creating. Because I think we could all use a lesson on slowing down while being more authentic. Don’t you? Let me know in the comments!

Girl I couldn’t agree more – what a fab read! I wrote about how the fast paced, Instagram culture is becoming too disposable. We want to devour content instead of taking the time to really appreciate it! I’m always feeling pressured to constantly have videos going out, without actually injecting passion into them! Creativity should be a celebrated process and not rushed! x

Your photos are always so exquisite. I lose myself studying your outfits and the settings. Today’s photos are especially wonderful. The dress, purse, shoes and sunglasses….so beautiful. May I ask who makes the sunglasses?

Hello Jenny, thanks for your post. I totally understand what you wrote about. Its hard to be creative when you see that the “same (hair)style- same pose -same filter” kind of photos are so successful but, sorry “oh so boring”. Big YES for unique content and creativity. Good stuff takes time. Greetings from Germany

I love this Jenny! I’m a content creator myself, but you’re still one of the few sources of inspiration that I turn to when I’m in a creative slump because every moment you capture is just done so well.

It’s so important to place quality over quantity when it comes to content — there’s just SO much content out there, that there’s no point in half-assing things anymore… and when you make it your full-time job, it’s only respectful to do things to the best of your ability and leave the like-chasing and numbers-chasing to those who will probably burn bright and fizzle out soon. Good work always speaks for itself, and yours definitely does 🙂

What a great food for thought! I find myself in awe everytime I see something different. I realise how hard being different is in this day and age, as everything is the same. You can never create something new that has never been seen before is getting harder and harder. I guess that’s why people resort to clickbaits and eating tide pods (pls don’t do that).

Beautiful, beautiful post Jenny! I feel like I really connect to this post because something I always am conscious of trying to do when reading posts or scrolling through my feed is to try and give back as much as the creator put towards the final result if that makes sense. You are a creator who always blows my mind and your photos always leave me hovering for seconds on Instagram, and leave me speechless trying to figure out the perfect words to comment in order to match the carefully crafted art that is in front of me. I think those who are giving time into creating something beautiful will receive the consumption they deserve, but that being said I think it’s important to regard everything with the thought that that person put a lot of time into it when they could have been doing something else. Truly a pleasure to read! xx

beautifully put! I still find myself shaking my head when people say that blogging isn’t ‘a real job’. Sometimes I love Instagram but i feel like its done quite a lot of damage as most of us have became a little lazy and just want to look at photos and not read anything that could actually be really interesting or great to learn about.

Jenny, I love reading your blogging & business posts!! So on point and a true, honest, and transparent view! I totally agree with everything in your post! Especially, slowing down and creating when it feels inspired and natural! And, I agree, more authenticity is needed in all this content creation! I usually never brag on myself, but, I do seriously, gorgeous, drop-dead stunning weddings & events! But… I get a lot of inquiries, how much is this, how much is that, how much does this cost to create? I certainly realize that people have budgets, but it is so depressing for me when people just look at price without once realizing how much creative energy, passion, thought, design, and hard work it takes to create something original and beautiful. My ideal client values that I’m not a cookie cutter floral designer & planner, values my time, creativity, and what I bring to the table. We all need to value creatives and look a little deeper into what makes them the best in their field! Thank you for looking deeper and going further!http://www.paulacoleman.com

You are so right & guess what it’s all intimidating for beginners like me. It makes me question if I’ll even be relevant. But you know what, I wanna do it coz I enjoy it, it’s my take, my opinion, my vision & I just love it. Keep creating babe, you inspire me & always appreciate your insight.

I just love this article. Well basically all the articles in this website. This kind of heart-to-heart talks are what we are looking forward. Not just about brand names but the sharing, thoughts and opinions. that’s why you are one of the best!